


Things I'll Never Say

by Emmaline_Louise_Peel



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Complicated - Freeform, Friendly Pansy, M/M, Mpreg, Musicals, Singing, Songs include;, Story of Us, Take A Hint, The Giving Tree - Freeform, Things I'll Never Say, fuck you, if only, that's Christmas to me
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-09
Updated: 2017-07-09
Packaged: 2018-11-29 18:54:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 11,646
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11446971
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emmaline_Louise_Peel/pseuds/Emmaline_Louise_Peel
Summary: The population of Hogwarts find themselves cursed with a peculiar spell, forced to express their strongest emotions through song, what kind of curse is that! Harry and the other cursed students must work together to free themselves from this endless torture.





	1. Things I'll Never Say

**'** **Things I'll Never Say' – Avril Lavigne**

Harry was sitting amongst his friends and housemates, subtly throwing the occasional glances towards platinum blonde hair across the Great Hall. Keeping his own hair over his bright eyes to avoid suspicion, he spent a good ten minutes day dreaming about those silver eyes.

"Harry? Harry are you even listening to me?"

He mentally shook his head to clear his thoughts, and looked over to his friend, "Sorry what did you say 'Mione?"

The brunette rolled her eyes at him, "I  _asked_ if you had heard anything from McGonagall about those odd dreams you're having?"

"Oh, right. No, I haven't heard back from her yet, she's really busy." He quickly dismissed the question, preferring not to talk about what he'd been seeing at night. And returned his gaze to the stoic blonde.

He thought back to when he was camping across Europe trying to find horcruxes and avoiding Death Eaters while everyone else fought for their lives in a war that truly was only meant for him. He was the reason Voldemort came back, it was his blood used in the ritual and in the end, he was the only one 'able' to kill the monster. But what really drew his focus, was the confusing dreams he'd been having since he ran from Bill and Fleur's wedding. His consciousness would jump through time, he would see the past, and what he could only assume was the future. There was always flashes of white and silver every time he moved to somewhere else. Each dream always had either himself, Draco Malfoy or both, and sometimes, they were even singing! He didn't understand what they could mean and when he'd told 'Mione and Ron about them they told him to talk to the Headmistress, thinking maybe she would know. But Harry felt rather reluctant to do so, he would be too embarrassed to reveal everything he'd seen in those dreams…

It wasn't very long ago that Harry had figured out he like men rather than women. After the war ended, he finally had time to properly explore his emotions without the weight of Voldemort's destruction sitting on his shoulders. Harry had been forced to carefully take Ginny aside and explain to her the discovery he'd made, wary of her reaction the young man had taken her up to the Room of Requirement so they could be alone.

Thankfully, Ginny hadn't been too upset. She had also had a realisation after the war, all the time she had been pining after 'The Boy Who Lived' as a young girl without even knowing him as a real person, and then when she'd finally gained his attentions Harry had run off for a year to take down the Dark Lord. In other words, Ginny had come to the conclusion, she was more attracted to the idea of him, and wasn't really in love with him. They parted ways as good friends.

As teachers and students alike ate their lunch happily, they were suddenly shaken out of the conversations. The whole Hall was shaking with the strength of a level 4 earthquake on the Richter Scale, the room and everything in it seemed to rattle. Several meals ended up on laps and the candles swung from the roof.

"What the  _bloody hell_  was that?!" Ron yelped once the shaking had stopped.

Everyone in the hall started panicking and some even shouted out in distress. A few students caught the attention of their housemates and teachers as they cried out in pain and stood up, it appeared as though it was against their will, several people near them asked what they were doing.

Music made it's way into the Great Hall and was soon accompanied with the students voices floating melodically through the air, confusing everyone else to no end.

 _"_ _Da dada ah, da dada ah_  
_Da dada ah, da dada ah  
_ _Ha dada da da, dadada da da"_

All the students standing were singing aloud, they were all wearing expressions of fear and embarrassment. When suddenly, there was only one person to be heard in the Great Hall; Harry Potter.

 _"_ _I'm tugging at my hair_  
_I'm pulling at my clothes_  
_I'm trying to keep my cool_  
_I know it shows_  
_I'm staring at my feet_  
_My cheeks are turning red  
_ _I'm searching for the words inside my head"_

As each line was pulled from his mouth Harry was forced to do as it said, while looking very upset about what he was singing.

 _"_ _I'm feeling nervous_  
_Trying to be so perfect_  
_Cause I know you're worth it_  
_You're worth it  
_ _Yeah"_

At this point, Harry had cottoned on as to what he was really being made to express out loud, he was being forced to tell the entire school about his crush on one beautifully blonde Slytherin, his eyes widened when he realised that if this song was based on his own feelings, then he'd end up saying a plethora of things he really didn't want anyone else to know about, especially Draco.

 _"_ _If I could say what I want to say_  
_I'd say I wanna blow you... away_  
_Be with you every night_  
_Am I squeezing you too tight_

 _If I could say what I want to see_  
_I want to see you go down_  
_On one knee_  
_Marry me today_  
_Guess I'm wishing my life away  
_ _With these things I'll never say"_

A pause is the song came and Harry's voice suddenly went back to normal as he cried to his friends, "Help me, what's wrong with me? I can't sto–" and he quickly cut himself off and more words were torn from his throat, his voice cracking as he strained his untrained, unprepared vocal chords to reach the appropriate notes.

Everyone in the Great Hall took a moment to process what their Saviour had just told them, he wanted to marry someone, but who?

 _"_ _It don't do me any good_  
_It's just a waste of time_  
_What use is it to you_  
_What's on my mind_  
  
_If it ain't coming out_  
_We're not going anywhere  
_ _So why can't I just tell you that I care"_

Harry's legs started walking on their own towards the one he spent so long thinking about, the one he could never have anywhere but in his dreams. As he moved closer to the Slytherin table many eyes widened even further ' _Harry Potter was in love with a Slytherin?!_ ' When Harry reached it he turned to walk down the side to the last person anyone would expect the Golden Boy to have fallen for, the Slytherin Prince himself.

 _"_ _Cause I'm feeling nervous_  
_Trying to be so perfect_  
_Cause I know you're worth it_  
_You're worth it  
_ _Yeah_

 _If I could say what I want to say_  
_I'd say I wanna blow you... away_  
_Be with you every night_  
_Am I squeezing you too tight_  
  
_If I could say what I want to see_  
_I want to see you go down_  
_On one knee_  
_Marry me today_  
_Guess I'm wishing my life away  
_ _With these things I'll never say"_

Tears of pain and humiliation were leaking from glossy emeralds down his porcelain face, soaking his dark grey Hogwarts jumper. The longer the song went on the more humiliated he felt. ' _Will this song never end?_ ' He could see that Draco knew that Harry was singing about/to him, his eyes widened slightly each time he sang the word 'marry' it seemed that the Malfoy heir was surprised at how deeply Harry's feelings went. He had already suspected that the 'Man Who Conquered' had a small crush on him ' _I mean who wouldn't?_ ' but he hadn't realised it could have been anything more than a physical attraction.

 _"_ _What's wrong with my tongue_  
_These words keep slipping away_  
_I stutter, I stumble  
_ _Like I've got nothing to say"_

The students who had sung with Harry at the beginning of this entire mess, started to sing backup to his 'lead' vocals.

 _"_ _Cause I'm feeling nervous_  
_Trying to be so perfect_  
_Cause I know you're worth it_  
_You're worth it  
_ _Yeah_

 _Da dada ah, da dada ah_  
_Da dada ah, da dada ah_  
_Ha dada da da, dadada da da_  
_Da dada ah, da dada ah  
_ _Ha dada da da, dadada da da"_

 _Guess I'm wishing my life away  
_ _With these things I'll never say_

 _If I could say what I want to say_  
_I'd say I wanna blow you...away_  
_Be with you every night  
_ _Am I squeezing you too tight_

 _If I could say what I want to see_  
_I want to see you go down_  
_On one knee_  
_Marry me today_  
_Guess, I'm wishing my life away_  
_With these things I'll never say_  
  
_These things I'll never say"_

As soon as he was released from the invisible grip holding him in place, Harry ran from the Great Hall his tears flowing freely and the doors slammed loudly behind him. Leaving the rest of the school in stunned silence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovely people of the internet, I just want to quickly thank the wonderful authors who inspired this fan fiction's creation, 'Musical Maladies' by Wings of Fancy and 'Mr. Know It All' by St3phP33l (which can be found on Fanfiction.net), both of whom I love, adore and respect an awful lot and I recommend looking at their work.


	2. If Only

**'If Only' – Dove Cameron**

Harry ran all the way to the room of requirement his body fueled by humiliation. Tears running down his face, he slammed the doors shut behind him.

Sliding down the dark oak onto the floor, the Gryffindor's thoughts were running a million miles a second. 'What're Ron and Hermione going to think of me now they know? What does Draco think of me? He's probably laughing with his friends about the Stupid, Scarheaded Gryffindork.' For another half-hour, the only sound Harry heard was his own sobbing.

Once his melt-down had subsided, he looked around the room Hogwarts had conjured up to comfort him. The space was small, walls painted a neutral cream colour with three golden frames, one on each wall.

As Harry moved closer to the frame on his left, he saw they were covered in finely detailed carvings. This one had a scene depicting a child growing inside their mother, and the beginning of their life.

Inside the frame, which he discovered was holding glass, it was a window. Beyond the glass was a cosy living room, sitting on the soft couches were his parents. Lily and James Potter sat in their house holding their two-month old son. They were talking to Harry, each other, smiling and although Harry couldn't hear them, he knew they were enjoying themselves.

A watery smile appeared on the Raven's heart-shaped face. He wished more than anything that his parents had survived that horrid night. But that was all in the past, and he couldn't change that.

Moving to the next one, the golden frame had a timeline of a small boy growing up into a young man. Looking into the window, Harry discovered he was standing in front of himself. It wasn't a window at all, it was a mirror. Taking a few moments to stare at the endless green, inherited from his mother. 'Why is it always me? Why do I have to deal with shit like being forced to sing your feelings to someone?'

The third frame was etched with a two men, one was obviously pregnant as the pictures went around the frame, until the two grown men were accompanied by a baby, and the baby became a toddler, and was joined by two more babies.

Harry looked in the window to find another living room. This time there was a man with dark hair, wearing a soft loose knitted Weasley jumper – or it would have been loose if not for the heavily pregnant belly the man was sporting – with the letter 'H' written on the front. Next to him was another man with blonde hair, wearing his own Weasley jumper, but instead of the traditional red and gold, his was green with a silver 'D' written on the front. The dark haired man was holding two babies, both had blonde hair, and from what Harry could see, one had bright green eyes and the other had silver. On the floor of the comfy cottage was a little boy, with black hair and silvery eyes, playing with building blocks. They seemed happy.

Harry couldn't help the huge smile from spreading across his face at what he saw through that window. 'Is the Room of Requirement… showing me the future?' The thought truly made his mood brighten considerably, maybe telling Draco (and the whole school) his feelings wasn't such a bad thing? He asked the room for a couch he could sit on, she happily complied and he spent the rest of the day watching his past and future selves.

.o0O0o.

Draco Malfoy's day could not have been any stranger. After breakfast he was pulled into an unused classroom where he was confronted by Loony Lovegood, she was rambling on (which for her was odd in itself) about how he had to be careful with 'him' or the Pteronua Brasiliensis*

He spent his morning classes trying to figure out exactly what she had meant, which landed him a detention in Potions from Professor Slughorn of all people, for "Not paying adequate attention" to the teacher at the beginning of the lesson nor his potion, resulting in Draco not only making a completely different potion to the rest of the class, but he'd botched it too.

When finally he could relax and enjoy his lunch, half-way through the meal an earthquake of some sort shook the Great Hall, and over the top of everyone's loud noises of surprise came, "What the bloody hell was that?!" Of course the Weasel spawn was the only person loud enough to here over the entire school.

When the cries of pain started to spring up around the Hall as students dotted around the Hall stood up for no apparent reason, and were soon joined by panicked shouts of worry from their surrounding friends.

Then out of nowhere music started up, and the students began to sing, and then only one stood out from the rest, as a horrified looking Harry Potter was the only student left singing, he made his way over to Draco, but something was off about the way he was walking, it as if he were trying to fight off the Imperious Curse, he was being forced to move and sing this highly embarrassing song, to someone, he wasn't sure who quite yet.

Until suddenly, he did. Potter was singing to him, Draco Malfoy.

.o0O0o.

Everyone in the Great Hall was sitting – or standing for those who were effected – in stunned silence after the Gryffindor Golden Boy had run off to who knows where. The students who had also been forced to sing backup for the Boy-Who-Lived were coughing after the strain they'd put of their vocal chords, seeing as most of them were not a part of the School's Frog Choir, and were downing the nearest liquids they could get their hands on.

Headmistress McGonagall stood to address the Great Hall over the loud and panicked chatter of the student body, "Quite please." Taking a moment for everyone to settle into quite whispers, "Can everyone who has found themselves caught up in… whatever this is, please make your way down to the hospital wing to see Madame Pompfrey. Everyone else, I suggest you finish your meal and go straight to your Common Rooms, classes are off for the rest of the day."

The students who had been forced to sing with the Boy-Who-Lived, scurried out of the Hall and to see the resident Mediwitch in hopes of discovering the cause of their… ailment.

.o0O0o.

The next morning Harry awoke. Finding himself still inside the Room of Requirement, he tried to straighten his robes and made his way back to the Great Hall in search of nourishment. Shoving any thoughts of the odd and humiliating occurrences of the day prior as he pushed open the huge oak doors.

As he sat down between to a worried looking Ron and concerned Hermione, he made himself a cup of tea and set about ignoring the abundance of stares, by thinking of the happy things the RoR had shown him yesterday. But, however good he was at ignoring eyes, his attention was caught when an eerie tune made it's way into the Great Hall, 'Not again' he thought, 'and so soon after the first one?!' He mentally prepared himself for the torture and embarrassment to come. He began to sing;

_A million thoughts in my head  
_ _Should I let my heart keep listening_

He glanced over at Draco, and saw that he was staring at him along him the rest of the school, his voice seemed to echo around the room as though someone had discreetly cast the sonorous charm on him.

_'Cause up 'til now I've walked the line  
_ _Nothing lost but something missing_

_I can't decide  
_ _What's wrong, what's right  
_ _Which way should I go?_

He felt his body stand up of it's own volition, and deciding it would be futile to fight it, he allowed his body to continue without his consent.

_If only I knew what my heart was telling me  
_ _Don't know what I'm feeling  
_ _Is this just a dream?  
_ _Ah oh, yeah_

He thought about what he'd seen in the RoR yesterday and how much he wished it to be true, and then of how unlikely having his feelings reciprocated would be. He knew that Draco Malfoy would never see him as anything more than a school yard enemy.

_If only I could read the signs in front of me  
_ _I could find the way to who I'm meant to be  
_ _Ah oh, if only  
_ _If only,  
_ _If only_

Tears ran down his face as he stared into silver eyes, wishing they felt the same way he did.

_Every step, every word,  
_ _With every hour I am falling in  
_ _To something new, something brave  
_ _To someone I, I have never been_

_I can't decide  
_ _What's wrong, what's right  
_ _Which way should I go?_

Harry heard a choking sound and was startled out of his daze, to see that Draco was being forced to sing with him, 'That couldn't mean– no, Draco doesn't even like men Harry! Stupid. Have you even see him with Parkinson?!' He mentally reprimanded himself.

_**If only I knew what my heart was telling me  
** _ _**Don't know what I'm feeling  
** _ _**Is this just a dream?  
** _ _**Ah oh,** _ _yeah_

_**If only I could read the signs in front of me  
** _ _**I could find the way to who I'm meant to be  
** _ _**Ah oh, if only  
** _ _Yeah_

_Am I crazy? Maybe we could happen  
_ _Yeah  
_ _Will you still be with me when the magic's all run out?_

Harry found himself coughing and choking on his own breath from the sheer amount of effort it took for him to create such a loud sound, and relief washed over him when he went back to the way he was singing before.

_If only I knew what my heart was telling me  
_ _Don't know what I'm feeling  
_ _Is this just a dream?  
_ _Ah oh..._

_**If only I could read the signs in front of me  
** _ _**I could find the way to who I'm meant to be  
** _ _**Ah oh...  
** _ _**If only,** _ _yeah  
_ _**If only,** _ _yeah  
_ _**If only,** _ _yeah_

**_If only  
_ ** _If only_

He couldn't help but stare at Draco in shock, he had heard emotion in his voice. And then he felt himself fall to the cold stone floor, he faintly heard shouting before his world turned black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * Pteronua Brasiliensis = Giant Otter
> 
> Just incase there was any confusion with the bold text, that was when both Harry and Draco were singing, because in the original, you can in the background you can hear the character Ben singing with Mal.


	3. Fuck You

**'F*ck You' – Lily Allen**

It had been about a week since the two incidents at the Great Hall. It seemed odd that both instances had happened during large gatherings of the school when there was guaranteed to be at least a thousand people as witnesses as though he were being forced into some bizarre sort of confession or trail of sorts. Thankfully there hadn't been another incident so far. Unfortunately however, Malfoy had taken it upon himself to tease and insult Harry endlessly on the two 'confessions' he made about him.

That night, after a long day of classes Harry, Ron and Hermione walked into the Great Hall, ready to relax until heading off to bed, only to hear Malfoy's obnoxious voice; "–course I'm not going to fuck him! I'd rather do his pathetic  _Mudblood_  friend than Potter!" He seemed to be in the middle of an anti-gay/pro-blood supremacy rant. Hermione, sick and tired of the way Malfoy and his friends had been treating Harry as of late, and her and the Muggleborn population of Hogwarts since day one, finally snapped.

Storming over to the Slytherin table, she grabbed Malfoy by the shoulder and forced him to stand up and face her. "You know, after Harry stood up for you in court, I'd have thought you would be at least a little bit grateful, Malfoy. You'd think that you mightn't be so quick to begin belittling him again and again for something he can't control, for something he has  _absolutely_  no say in whatsoever. And since I'm here, I would think that as a  _human being_  you would have the decency to have learnt to at least tolerate those you consider 'lesser' than yourself – even though in actuality, there are Muggleborns who are far superior to you in many different ways!" Hermione looked as though she were about to explode, her face a bright red, and she likely would have continued her lecture if a cheerful tune hadn't interrupted her, forcing her to sing along.

_Look inside  
_ _Look inside your tiny mind  
_ _Now look a bit harder  
_ _'Cause we're so uninspired, so sick and tired of all the hatred you harbour_

The attention that had moved to Hermione during her rant, increased to the entire Hall as soon as the music began, everyone expecting to see Harry humiliate himself again, was shocked to see Granger singing passive aggressively to Malfoy.

_So you say  
_ _It's not okay to be gay  
_ _Well I think you're just evil  
_ _You're just some racist who can't tie my laces  
_ _Your point of view is medieval_

Hermione was joined by Muggleborns – even some Halfbloods – all across the Great Hall, who stood and moved to flank Hermione while simultaneously surrounding Draco.

**_Fuck you  
_ ** **_Fuck you very, very much  
_ ** **_'Cause we hate what you do  
_ ** **_And we hate your whole crew  
_ ** ****_So please don't stay in touch_

_Fuck you  
_ **_Fuck you very, very much  
_ ** **_'Cause your words don't translate  
_ ** **_And it's getting quite late  
_ ** ****_So please don't stay in touch_

Hermione, left singing alone, advanced towards Malfoy who at this point appeared to be shitting bricks.

_Do you get  
_ _Do you get a little kick out of being small-minded?  
_ _You want to be like your father  
_ _It's approval you're after  
_ _Well that's not how you find it_

Draco eyes widened, ' _What on earth? He certainly did_ not _want to be his Father, okay maybe he did seek his approval – until the final battle at least – but that doesn't make him a bad person did it?'_ He thought as he tried to ignore the horrifying truths the ever perceptive Granger was revealing to everyone.

_Do you  
_ _Do you really enjoy living a life that's so hateful?  
_ _'Cause there's a hole where your soul should be  
_ _You're losing control of it and it's really distasteful_

**_Fuck you  
_ ** **_Fuck you very, very much  
_ ** **_'Cause we hate what you do  
_ ** **_And we hate your whole crew  
_ ** ****_So please don't stay in touch_

**_Fuck you  
_ ** **_Fuck you very, very much  
_ ** **_'Cause your words don't translate and it's getting quite late  
_ ** ****_So please don't stay in touch_

**_Fuck you, fuck you, fuck you,  
_ ** **_Fuck you, fuck you, fuck you,  
_ ** ****_Fuck you_

For once those forced to sing, it seemed, were enjoying themselves, maybe putting such a huge prat back in his place had that kind of effect on people.

_You say, you think we need to go to war  
_ _Well you're already in one,  
_ _'Cause its people like you  
_ _That need to get slew  
_ _No one wants your opinion_

**_Fuck you  
_ ** **_Fuck you very, very much  
_ ** **_'Cause we hate what you do  
_ ** **_And we hate your whole crew  
_ ** ****_So please don't stay in touch_

**_Fuck you  
_ ** **_Fuck you very, very much  
_ ** **_'Cause your words don't translate and it's getting quite late  
_ ** ****_So please don't stay in touch_

**_Fuck you, fuck you, fuck you  
_ ** **_Fuck you, fuck you, fuck you_ **

Hermione swiftly turned around taking Harry and Ron's hands, deciding they would benefit from eating in the kitchens tonight. As they left they could hear over the deafening silence a quiet, "Whatever." Come from a certain blonde Slytherin.

.o0O0o.

Once the Trio made it to the bowl of fruit painting, Harry stopped Hermione before she could tickle the pear, pulling his friend into tight hug. "Thank you so much Hermione, for sticking up for me, and yourself. You have no idea how much that meant to me." He gushed allowing himself to relax after getting away from Malfoy, the object of his utter confusion.

Hermione smiled at him softly, "No problem Harry, anytime." She turned back to the painting and tickled the pear. Sitting down to a meal tailored to each of their tastes, curtesy of the Hogwarts House Elf staff.

After stuffing themselves full, Harry felt now was as good a time as any to tell his friends about what the Room of Requirement had shown him, "So, you guys remember when I ran out of the Great Hall last week?"

Ron snorted, "Right after you sang a love song to Malfoy? How could I forget?" when he received a smack across the back of his head from Hermione. "What was that for?!"

She gave him an exasperated look, "Really Ronald, could you have  _any_  less tact? That was  _very_  insensitive of you." Harry shook his head fondly at the scene – although Hermione seemed far more serious than usual – and nearly forgot about what he'd been saying until, "So what did you want to talk to us about, Harry?"

He took a deep breath, prepared to spill his guts. "Well after I ran out, I went to the Room of Requirement, and it gave me a really odd room, considering I'd asked for something comforting. Well, I guess part of it makes sense; I saw my parents with me when I was a baby, in our living room through a sort of gilded frame."

Harry could practically see the cogs turning inside his friend's head as she tried to think of what Harry could find troubling enough to avoid speaking of until now. "What else did you see, Harry?" She prompted.

"Well there was a mirror," He tried to back out of the conversation he'd put himself right into, but forced himself to continue, "and there was another window, which had Draco and I, living together… with children… and I was pregnant."

" ** _WHAT?!_** "


	4. The Giving Tree

**'** **The Giving Tree' – Plain White T's**

Ginny felt like shit. Plain and simple. It was ever since Harry had revealed to her that he was gay. Whilst on the outside she played the part of a forgiving, excepting and supportive friend, inside her heart had been slowly crumbling into a pile of hurt feelings and heartbreak. Yes, she knew that her life wouldn't always be the way she'd planned it. She knew it wouldn't be as simple as meet the guy of her dreams, get married, have kids and live happily ever after. She knew that, but that didn't mean she hadn't hoped for it. The redhead felt in the darkest part of herself that it was somehow her fault Harry had 'discovered' he was gay, had she been such a bad girlfriend he was no longer interested in the female figure? Was he inattent–

"Ginny? Are you okay?" She was pulled from her thought by the object of her longing. "You were staring into space, but uh… I think you were hurting yourself." Harry reached over the table and pried open her hand from around the jagged steak knife, which had slipped in her grip without her noticing and sliced into her hand.

"Shit!" She gasped and quickly cast a minor healing charm on the bloody cut, which was now scabbed over.

"Hey Gin, are you doin' okay? You've been a bit out of it lately, is something going on?" Harry asked, trying to help his friend in whatever way he could.

"Yes Harry, there is something going on! You, you're going on. How do you think I really feel about you 'discovering' your sexuality? Did you think I really didn't care, that I was so flippant and nonchalant about  _us_  that I wouldn't give two damns if you suddenly just upped and left me? I  _care_  about you Harry, no, no I  _love_  you! I don't want you to run off with some guy, not when you could be happy with me!" Ginny shouted, gaining the attention of all occupants, students  _and_  staff. Hearing soft music begin to float into the room both Harry and Ginny's eyes widened, hoping beyond hope that they weren't the ones about to be affected by the curse, and then Ginny began to sing.

 _All the leaves on the Giving Tree have fallen_  
No shade to crawl in underneath  
I've got scars from a pocket knife  
Where you carved your heart into me

She gripped at her chest where her heart would be, as if to express the agony the boy, no the young  _man_  in front of her had put her through.

 _If all you wanted was love_  
Why would you use me up  
Cut me down, build a boat, and sail away

Ginny looked over at Draco with an accusatory gaze, as if to say 'This is all your fault', before turning back to Harry.

_When all I wanted to be was your giving tree  
Settle down, build a home, and make you happy?_

_I lie in the dead of night and I wonder_  
Whose covers you're between  
And it's sad laying in his bed  
You feel hollow, so you crawl home back to me

Even as she sung it, she knew her hopes of having her love back wouldn't come true, the look of pity on his face told her exactly that. She felt disgusted that she had even  _thought_ of Harry doing those things, ' _He wouldn't start bedding strangers just because he came out as gay!'_  she could see that now, she had been blinded by her own feelings.

 _If all you wanted was love_  
Why would you use me up  
Cut me down, build a boat, and sail away  
When all I wanted to be was your giving tree  
Settle down, build a home, and make you happy?

It was then that she realized, this song wasn't about Harry anymore, it was about her obsession with him, she needed to let him go, he was never meant to be hers, she knew that now.

 _Well, I see a trail that starts_  
A line of broken hearts behind you  
That lead you back to me  
The once sad and lonely fool  
With nothing left but roots to show, oh

Ginny felt an immense weight lift off her shoulders, she had finally freed herself of this burden, the stress that came with pining for which you cannot have. She felt liberated.

 _If all you wanted was love_  
Why would you use me up  
Cut me down, build a boat, and sail away  
When all I wanted to be was your giving tree  
Settle down, build a home, and make you happy?  
Settle down, build a home, and make you happy?

Sagging in her seat Ginny sighed, feeling emotionally exhausted she let out a quite "I'm sorry, Harry." Before falling asleep at the table.

Harry turned to his two friends looking slightly panicked. "It's okay Harry, I'll take her to see Madame Pompfrey." Ron stood and held his little sister in his arms securely and quietly left the Great Hall.

Harry watched the two Weasleys leave through the huge oak doors, "I had no idea. This is all my fault." He mumbled under his breath.

"Harry James Potter. I don't need to have heard what you said to know that you are blaming yourself for whatever it is that's going on." Hermione gazed at him pityingly. "It's not your fault, how could it possibly be?"

"Haven't you noticed that every time someone is forced to sing it has something to do with me? Even that song  _you_  sang was because he was talking shit about the  _both_  of us. How can it  _not_ be my fault, Hermione?!" It was only then that the two Gryffindors noticed the attention of all of Hogwarts was still upon them.

"As you were." Hermione spat at them, which snapped them out of the almost trance-like state they were in as they stared at them, all four houses immediately went back to talking and eating amongst themselves.

Harry sighed, not feeling up to a meal any longer, "I'm not hungry anymore." He stood up and left, intent on getting to sleep early.


	5. Complicated

**'** **Complicated' – Avril Lavigne**

Pansy sat and stared at her plate. The thought of even attempting to eat the roast lamb and potatoes made her want to throw up. Draco had been her best friend since the moment they'd met at the Malfoy Yuletide celebration. They were three years old and weren't allowed into the ballroom, being the sneaky Slytherins they already were they managed to convince one of the family's House Elves to apparate them underneath one of the fancy tables so they could watch the festivities from there. The two of them had been virtually inseparable ever since. Well, until their first year at Hogwarts. Draco started mingling with their housemates, making 'connections' he called it. The Malfoy heir, that was who he'd become the moment he received his letter. He wasn't her Draco anymore.

He'd only gotten worse over the years, she saw less and less of the happy and curious Draco he once was. Now the only time she would even get a glimpse of him was when she managed to get him alone for a minute or two before he made excuses to leave.

The incidents with the singing students were the highlights of student gossip, especially for the Slytherins since whatever curse had befallen the school only seemed to effect the Gryffindors. In fact, she could hear Draco laughing about the Weasley girl's humiliation today at lunch.

"Oh I  _wish_  you'd been there, Greengrass, it was simply  _hilarious_." Draco boasted loudly, "I'd practically had a front row seat!" The surrounding group of his 'friends' laughed in reply and turned to stare at Potter, who looked as though he wanted the floor to open up and swallow him whole.

"You should've seen Potter's face! He didn't know what to do with himself, and Granger and her pet Weasel couldn't have collected more flies in their mouths if they'd been  _trying_! Not to mention the horror on the Weaselette's face, she was trying so hard not to let anything come out of her big mouth but couldn't do anything but profess her undying love for the Scarhead! I hope to never forget it." A chorus of laughter followed Draco's words once again, and he was just about to open his stupid mouth to insult and humiliate someone else he deem himself above, when Pansy finally couldn't keep herself silent anymore.

"You know what Draco? Why don't you stop making fun of people for once! I mean, what's happened to you?! You used to be so kind and caring and thoughtful, but– as soon as we got here, you changed you started becoming your Father of all people, the one person you said you would never be like and you're this close" she gestured a very small space between her thumb and forefinger, "to being an exact replica!" Pansy shouted for the whole school to hear, when suddenly the sound of a guitar echoed around the Great Hall and words were coming from her mouth that didn't belong to her:

_"Uh huh, life's like this_   
_Uh huh, uh huh, that's the way it is_   
_'Cause life's like this_   
_Uh huh, uh huh that's the way it is"_

She stood up from her seat and stood in the middle of the Slytherin table and cleared space for herself by kicking plates away from her.

_"Chill out, what you yellin' for?_   
_Lay back, it's all been done before"_

She sang as if she were giving herself a pep talk before confronting her foes.

_"And if you could only let it be_   
_You will see_   
_I like you the way you are"_

Pansy pointed to Draco to make sure he knew that it was definitely him she was mad at, and despite the relaxed tune of the song, she was indicated her anger by giving him a glare every once in a while to emphasise her feelings.

_"When we're drivin' in your car_   
_And you're talking to me one on one_   
_But you've become"_

She spread her arms out, gesturing to the school, and specifically their house mates.

_"Somebody else 'round everyone else_   
_You're watching your back like you can't relax_   
_You're tryin' to be cool_   
_You look like a fool to me_   
_Tell me"_

She hit her chest, trying to convey the anguish he'd put her through.

_"Why do you have to go and make things so complicated?_   
_I see the way you're_   
_Acting like you're somebody else, gets me frustrated_   
_And life's like this you,_   
_You fall and you crawl and you break and you take what you get and you turn it into_   
_Honesty, you promised me I'm never gonna find you fake it_   
_No, no, no_

_You come over unannounced_   
_Dressed up like you're somethin' else_   
_Where you are ain't where it's at you see, you're making me_   
_Laugh out when you strike your pose_   
_Take off all your preppy clothes_   
_You know, you're not fooling anyone_   
_When you become_

_Somebody else 'round everyone else_   
_You're watchin' your back like you can't relax_   
_You're tryin' to be cool_   
_You look like a fool to me_   
_Tell me_

_Why do you have to go and make things so complicated?_   
_I see the way you're_   
_Acting like you're somebody else, gets me frustrated_   
_And life's like this you,_   
_You fall and you crawl and you break and you take what you get and you turn it into_   
_Honesty, you promised me, I'm never gonna find you fake it_   
_No, no, no"_

Pansy was too wrapped up in her own feelings to notice several people around the hall where echoing her singing now, as they turned to someone they felt similarly towards.

_"No, no, no ( **No** )_   
_No, no, no ( **No** )_   
_No, no, no ( **No, No** )_

_Chill out, what you yellin' for?_   
_Lay back, it's all been done before_   
_And if you could only let it be_   
_You will see_

_Somebody else 'round everyone else_   
_You're watching your back like you can't relax_   
_You're trying to be cool,_   
_You look like a fool to me_   
_Tell me_

_Why do you have to go and make things so complicated?_   
_I see the way you're_   
_Acting like you're somebody else, gets me frustrated_   
_And life's like this you,_   
_You fall and you crawl and you break and you take what you get and you turn it into_   
_Honesty, you promised me, I'm never gonna find you fake it_   
_No, no_

_Why do you have to go and make things so complicated? (Yeah, yeah)_   
_I see the way you're_   
_Acting like you're somebody else, gets me frustrated_   
_And life's like this you,_   
_You fall and you crawl and you break and you take what you get and you turn it into_   
_Honesty, you promised me I'm never gonna find you fake it_   
_No, no, no"_

She got off of the table, and turned to get back in her seat. Only to realise everyone was still staring at her.

"What're you all looking at?!" She snapped at them, and she strutted out of the Great Hall, deciding to finish her meal in the kitchens instead. Her footsteps, which rang throughout the winding corridors of the castle were soon joined by a hurried pair clattering behind her.

"Pansy! Pansy, wait up!" she knew who the voice belonged to, which only spurred her onwards, faster than before. She made it to the kitchens before Draco could catch up to her and make a scene in the hallways, regardless of the fact they would be alone. She took a seat at the booth like table which the occasional student would use instead of the very public Great Hall, only to be joined by the blonde who was supposedly her friend.

"Why didn't you say anything?" he asked, concern written all over his face.

"Ha, that's funny Draco. When would I have had the opportunity to  _say anything_?! You've been caught up in 'making connections' for the past eight years and whenever I do find you alone you always brush me off to go and be with someone else, so excuse me if I didn't  _say anything_." She growled at him, he was acting as though he hadn't realised what he was doing was hurting her for crying out loud!

"Look Pansy, before we got on the train that first time, Father took me aside and, well he basically told me to get my act together. He said, I wasn't going to Hogwarts to learn magic, he could easily arrange for tutors and the like, I was being sent to as you said 'make connections' and keep up the Pureblooded image that was expected of me, which at that point I hadn't been. He blamed you for that mostly, he had it in his mind you were a bad influence and weren't 'nearly as pure in blood as your farther would have his peers believe', he didn't say much else after that except that I wasn't to spend too much time with you, lest it tarnish the family image." He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose to keep away the impending headache.

"I really, really didn't want to be like this Pansy, but he didn't give me much of a choice. I always thought there was some good inside him, somewhere deep, deep inside, but there nonetheless. I was wrong, Pans. I was eleven years old and he threatened my mother's life, if I didn't keep up to his standards. The fact that Granger is better than me in classes earns her at least a monthly beating to show him just how serious he is. If I weren't second in our year and the epitome of what he sees as fit for his Pureblooded-Malfoy Heir, then she would be in a far worse condition, possibly even dead." He couldn't look his friend in the eye, he's bottled up everything he felt for anyone in order to stay on his father's good side. He just hadn't realised how much he'd hurt his first and admittedly only true friend in the process.

"Draco…" Pansy choked on her words as she looked up and saw the tears gathered in the corners of his eyes. "I had, I had no idea."

The two remained in the kitchens for most of the night rekindling their friendship and enjoying each other's company and the house elves food, before they snuck back to their dormitories well past midnight.


	6. The Story of Us

**‘Story of Us’ – Taylor Swift**

It was just over a week since the first non-Gryffindor student was the main target of a, now dubbed, ‘singing episodes’. Hermione had been spending all of her free time in the Library trying to get to the bottom of whatever curse had been put over the school. Since the first episode with Harry confessing his feelings to Malfoy in front of the entire student body and staff faculties, Harry had felt as though Ron were drifting away from their Trio of friendship, he spent more time with Dean and Seamus than he did Hermione and Harry. He did seem rather upset that Harry hadn’t told him about his surprisingly deep feelings for the ‘Slytherin Prince’ if the song he sang was anything to go by. Even in classes he always took the spare seat next to one of the other boys in their year, ignoring the fact that he used to always sit beside her unless there were no other option.

Admittedly, Hermione hadn’t noticed until one Charms lesson she turned to speak to her boyfriend, only to find that she was actually sitting next to her best friend, Harry. Feeling ashamed for being so wrapped up in classwork and the mystery curse that she didn’t even see her  _boyfriend_  drifting away, she had to know when it had started.

“Um, Harry?” She mumbled quietly so as to not catch Flitwick’s attention.

“Yes, ‘Mione?” He seemed relieved to have her actually speak to him in class, she’d been so caught up in work and research lately he felt as though she had no idea who she was with half the time.

“Uh… this might sound odd, but um… how long have we been sitting together in classes this year?” She whispered, her voice was barely audible over the Professor’s high pitched squeaking.

“I think, two months now? Yeah, that sounds about right.” He said giving her a concerned look. It seems he was right, she really didn’t have any idea who she was with. He was about to give her a short lecture about looking after her mind and her body, by letting herself relax sometimes when the bell rang out across the school, signalling it was time for Lunch. Hermione turned away from her raven-haired friend, feeling utterly embarrassed at letting herself become so self-absorbed and decided she really needed to sort out things with Ron. She would salvage what she could of their relationship and build on it from there, even if it took years.

Once she reached the Great Hall, with Harry struggling to keep up, since in more recent years she had grown at least fifteen centimetres taller, most of which was now in her legs making quite a bit faster than him. By the time She managed to find Ron, he was already surrounded by taken seats at the Gryffindor table, and Hermione felt as though she could rip her hair out in frustration. The hall fell silent as they heard music pump into the large room. Hermione knew it would by her once again who was forced to sing her feelings, so she quickly grabbed Ron’s shoulder to get his attention.

 _“I used to think one day we'd tell the story of us_  
How we met and the sparks flew instantly  
People would say, ‘they're the lucky ones’  

_I used to know my place was a spot next to you"_

She gestured out at all the taken seats even as she inwardly cringed at the lyric which was the opposite of empowering women, ‘Really?’ She thought ‘My  _place_  is the spot next to you?!’ could a song get anymore anti-feminism?

_“Now I'm searching the room for an empty seat  
'Cause lately I don't even know what page you're on” _

She pulled out the only novel she had on her person, which was ‘Romeo and Juliet’ she was allowed to read Shakespeare if she wanted,  and flicked through the pages as if searching for her boyfriend within them.

“Oh, a simple complication  
Miscommunications lead to fall out  
So many things that I wish you knew  
So many walls up I can't break through

Now I'm standing alone In a crowded room  
And we're not speaking and I'm dying to know  
Is it killing you like it's killing me yeah  
I don't know what to say since the twist of fate  
When it all broke down and the story of us  
Looks a lot like a tragedy now”

Looking at the front of the book, she realised it was kind of symbolic if their romance story turned into a tragedy and she was using ‘Romeo and Juliet’ as a sort of prop.

_“Next chapter”_

She moved to the next Act within the playscript as though it were the ‘story of us’ she kept referring to.

“How'd we end up this way?  
See me nervously pulling at my clothes  
And trying to look busy”

She thought back to the hours she’d spent in the Library researching, maybe she was subconsciously already aware of Ron drifting away and had forced herself to ignore it by surrounding herself in work.

“And you're doing your best to avoid me  
I'm starting to think one day I'll tell the story of us  
How I was losing my mind when I saw you here  
But you held your pride like you should have held me

_Oh, I'm scared to see the ending  
Why are we pretending this is nothing?” _

She held the book out to him trying to show him just how horribly it ended for the ‘Star-Crossed Lovers’, their own relationship could turn out similarly devastating if they didn’t do anything about it.

_“I'd tell you I miss you but I don't know how  
I've never heard silence quite this loud _

Now I'm standing alone in a crowded room  
And we're not speaking and I'm dying to know  
Is it killing you like it's killing me yeah  
I don't know what to say since the twist of fate  
When it all broke down and the story of us  
Looks a lot like a tragedy now”

She could feel something strange happening to her body, something that hadn’t appeared to happen to any of the other effected students and certainly didn’t happen when she was telling Malfoy to stop being so horrible. She started to dance. Hermione wasn’t even sure whether or not it was against her will or if she were simply dancing out her frustration. Only to end up on the table just like Pansy had only a week ago.

“This is looking like a contest  
Of who can act like they care less  
But I liked it better when you were on my side”

She crouched down and held Ron’s surprised face in her hands, she really did love him, even if he was a complete dolt sometimes.

“The battle's in your hands now  
But I would lay my armour down  
If you'd say you'd rather love than fight”

She stood up again and jumped over Ron to land back in the isle between the Gryffindor and Slytherin tables.

_“So many things that you wish I knew  
But the story of us might be ending soon _

Now I'm standing alone in a crowded room  
And we're not speaking and I'm dying to know  
Is it killing you like it's killing me yeah  
I don't know what to say since the twist of fate  
When it all broke down and the story of us  
Looks a lot like a tragedy now, now, now

 _And we’re not speaking  
__And I’m dying to know is killing you  
__Like it’s killing me, yeah  
__I don't know what to say since the twist of fate  
__‘Cause we’re going down and the story of us_  
Looks a lot like a tragedy now… the end” 

She slammed the book closed and turned back to face Ron, who stared at her as though she’d grown a second head. Hermione took his hand and gently pulled him out of his seat and towards the door.

“So… I’m sorry I didn’t notice earlier that you were drift–” She started to say, when suddenly his mouth was on hers, ending the apologetic ramble he knew wouldn’t stop once she started. He held onto her like a life line, and she buried her hands in his wavy, fiery hair.

“You know, for the ‘Brightest Witch in Our Year’, you really are thick sometimes.” He laughed as she mockingly slapped his shoulder. They stayed there for what felt like a blissful eternity.

“I wasn’t ignoring you, you know.” He said quietly as they made their way down to the potions classroom after they grabbed Hermione something to eat from the kitchens. “I just, well, okay at first I  _was_  avoiding the both of you after the first ‘episode’, I figured you probably knew about that before the curse and was a bit upset neither of you told me, or Ginny for that matter. But, I got over that quickly enough and you’d already buried yourself in researching whatever this thing is that I thought it would be better to leave you to it. I, I do realise I probably went a bit too far with that, so I’m sorry too… Not that you need to be sorry for anything!” He amended after he realised how that might’ve sounded.

“Well, I guess our Story is back on track then.” She smiled before pulling him into another kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The way this chapter turns out is most for LivTigerQueen, who requested some more Romione action, without her their relationship would definitely be on the rocks right about now :)
> 
> \- Emma Lou


	7. That's Christmas to Me

**‘That’s Christmas To Me’ – Pentatonix**

 

Harry sat on the oversized couch in his living room, watching his husband and son add ‘art’ that the little boy had made to the Christmas tree and mantel piece. Turning to look at his two sleeping daughters, barely a year old and he was already with child again. Running a hand over his plant sized belly, he sighed in contentment, Christmas used to be so lonely for him, then he would celebrate it at Hogwarts, then with the Weasleys, Hermione and Sirius, and now with _his_ family. While he did think of the redheaded clan and ‘Mione as family it wasn’t quite the same as flesh and blood. A hand still upon his youngest child, he quietly sang;

 

_The fireplace is burning bright, shining all on me  
_ _I see the presents underneath the good old Christmas tree  
_ _And I wait all night 'til Santa comes to wake me from my dreams  
_ _Oh, why? 'Cause that's Christmas to me_

 

He saw his son had moved outside to play in the snow making a snowman and he couldn’t help the happy tears that gathered in his eyes. He couldn’t imagine what his life would be like now without his beautiful family. He pulled on Draco’s arm and kissed him until they had both run out of breath.

 

_I see the children play outside, like angels in the snow  
_ _While mom and daddy share a kiss under the mistletoe  
_ _And we'll cherish all these simple things wherever we may be  
_ _Oh, why? 'Cause that's Christmas to me_

Thinking back on all the times he had felt so alone and isolated from the rest of the world, even after he and Draco had recompensed with each other. He thought of the times he’d locked himself away from his friends and loved ones, especially after first discovering he even _could_ get pregnant, that kept him out of sight for two weeks.

_I've got this Christmas song in my heart  
_ _I've got the candles glowing in the dark  
_ _I'm hanging all the stockings by the Christmas tree  
_ _Oh, why? 'Cause that's Christmas to me  
_ _Oh, why? 'Cause that's Christmas to me_

_I listen for the thud of reindeer walking on the roof  
_ _As I fall asleep to lullabies, the morning's coming soon  
_ _The only gift I'll ever need is the joy of family  
_ _Oh, why? 'Cause that's Christmas to me_

Even though Wizards as general rule didn’t celebrate Christmas the same ways as muggles, Harry had always insisted his children would believe in Father Christmas. He wanted them to experience the things he’s been deprived of growing up, one of which is Santa Clause.

_I've got this Christmas song in my heart (song in my heart)  
_ _I've got the candles glowing in the dark  
_ _I'm hanging all the stockings by the Christmas tree  
_ _Oh, why? 'Cause that's Christmas to me  
_ _Oh, why? 'Cause that's Christmas to me_

His family was the most important thing to Harry, he would protect it with his life. Christmas was simply the perfect time to express the love he felt.

_Ooooohhhhoooohhooohhh  
_ _Ooooohhhhoooohhooohhh_

 

_Oh, the joy that fills our hearts and makes us see  
_ _Oh, why? 'Cause that's Christmas to me_

_I've got this Christmas song in my heart  
_ _I've got the candles glowing in the dark  
_ _And then for years to come we'll always know one thing  
_ _That's the love that Christmas can bring  
_ _Oh, why? 'Cause that's Christmas to me_

 

.o0O0o.

 

Luna gasped as she was pulled out of a vision and back into reality, “Hey, are you okay, Luna?” Harry asked the young woman wearing a huge lion on her head, she was an odd one.

 

“Yes Harry, I’m quite fine. I was just having a lovely conversation with a Strudelsnap, they know a lot more than they let on.” She replied with a, dare he say it, knowing smile.

 

.o0O0o.

 

**A/N: so that was a bit of a Christmas interlude type chapter, short, sweet and with a little dash of future to rope you in for the long haul.**


	8. Take a Hint

**‘Take a Hint’ – Victoria Justice and Elizabeth Gilies**

 

Since today was Saturday _and_ a Hogsmeade weekend Harry had decided to invite Ginny along with him, Ron and Hermione to spend the day together, since his two friends barely let go of each other now that they’d made up, he felt as if he’d need extra company to avoid sitting alone while his best friends ‘secretly’ snogged in the bathroom.

 

Which as it turned out was exactly what happened, Hermione claimed to need the loo only for Ron to do the same only a minute later. It seemed like they didn’t want to rub their relationship in his face.

 

Even though Harry had asked Ginny to come with them to the Three Broomsticks, he wasn’t really paying her any attention. Instead he was staring across the room where low-and-behold, there was Malfoy, sitting with Pug-Face Parkinson. It looked like they were on a date.

 

“Harry, if all you’re going to do is stare at your crush and not even acknowledge my presence I might as well not be here at all.” She said, snapping him out of his longing stare.

 

“No! Gin, wait.” He grabbed her wrist before she could get away. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to ignore you, and now is as good a time as any, since we’re alone, to discuss us.” Harry looked down at his lap where he fiddled with the hem of his cousin’s old shirt.

 

“I– I just need to know if you’re okay. Because well, first you said you were and then the curse or whatever, forced you to tell the truth and you weren’t actually okay with everything. That, and you hurt yourself physically in the process.” He knew he was rambling, but it really was his fault that Ginny had hurt herself, if he had been honest with himself from the beginning then he wouldn’t have projected his feelings for Dr– _Malfoy_ onto her and convinced himself he was in love with her.

 

Ginny sat back down and gave him a look that said ‘stop being stupid’. “I’m fine Harry, honestly. I did mean it the first time, but after the curse started, everyone was freaking out and I was under a lot of stress in classes since I didn’t get to learn an awful lot last year. I’m fine, re–“ She was cut off by a loud cough from behind them.

 

“Sorry to interrupt, but the two of us couldn’t help but notice just how cute the two of you are,” The voice was full of condescending sugar, “do you mind?” He gestured to the seats opposite them.

 

“Well, actu–“ Harry began to say when he too was cut by one of the boys whom he could now see were Ernie Macmillan and Zacharias Smith, said “Thanks, that’s awfully nice of you.” As they both sat down in Ron and Hermione’s seats.

 

“So, Zach and I were sitting over there when we noticed that you two were alone and clearly in need of company, so being the kind gentlemen we are, we decided to indulge you.” Macmillan’s voice was condescending and was paired perfectly with Smith’s smug expression.

“Look, we don’t normally do this but, we really want to… you know, so could we buy you both a drink?” Macmillan asked, suddenly putting on a more sensitive façade. Harry and Ginny looked at each other to share a grimace and lifted their mostly full tankards of Butterbeer.

 

“We’re good.” They said together.

 

“That’s really no way to treat two gentlemen offering themselves to two _fine_ specimens such as yourselves.” Smith said as he stood from his chair and loomed over them from across the small table.

 

“And that’s no way to treat two ‘specimen’ who have politely declined your _generous_ offer.” Harry said through his teeth.

 

Suddenly a small group of boys and girls at the surrounding tables started to sing.

 

_“ **La, la la la la la la,**_

**_La la la la,_ **

**_La, la la la la la la ,_ **

**_La la la la_ ** _”_

Music kicked in and Harry and Ginny began to sing, once again, against their will.

 

 _[Ginny]_ __  
Why am I always hit on by the boys I never like  
I can always see 'em coming, from the left or from the right  
  
[Harry]  
I don't want to be a priss, I'm just try'na be polite  
But it always seems to bite me in the...  
  
[Ginny]  
Ask me for my number, yeah, you put me on the spot  
  
[Harry]  
You think that we should hook up  
But I think that we should not  
  
[Ginny]  
You had me at ‘Hello’, then you opened up your mouth  
  


The same teens who had started the singing join them for the chorus as they move to surround the two Hufflepuffs.

 __  
**[All]**  
And that is when it started going south, oh!  
  


**_Get your hands off my hips, or I'll punch you in the lips_ ** ****_  
Stop your staring at my... Hey!  
Take a hint, take a hint_

****

Smith and Macmillan, freaking out at being so openly confronted by the group get out of ‘their’ seats in an attempt to get away from them only for Ginny and Harry to appear out of nowhere behind them.

 **** __  
No you can't buy me a drink, let me tell you what I think  
I think you could use a mint  
Take a hint, take a hint  
La, la, la...  
T-take a hint, take a hint  
La, la, la...

The two Gryffindors push them back into the chairs which had been turned around by a singing Slytherin and Ravenclaw. Ginny and Harry both move close with falsely sweet smiles before they turned and sat on their laps singing the next verse towards the growing crowd of singers and onlookers.

_[Ginny]_ _  
I guess you still don't get it, so let's take it from the top  
  
[Harry]  
__You asked me what my sign is and I told you it was ‘Stop!’_  
  
[Ginny]  
And if I had a dime for every name that you just dropped   
  
**[All]**  
You'd be here and I'd be on a yacht, oh!  
  


They jumped up and pulled the two boys with them leading them by the wrist towards the middle of the pub, the raven and redheads got up onto the centre-most table and even those unaffected by the curse were nodding along, clearly enjoying themselves.

_  
**Get your hands off my hips, or I'll punch you in the lips**  
Stop your staring at my... Hey!  
Take a hint, take a hint  
No you can't buy me a drink, let me tell you what I think  
I think you could use a mint  
Take a hint, take a hint  
La, la, la...  
T-take a hint, take a hint  
La, la, la...  
  
[Ginny]  
_ _What ‘bout ‘no’ don’t you get_

_[Harry]_ __  
So go and tell your friends  
  
**[All]**  
I'm not really interested  
  


Ginny leapt off the table and pushed the two offenders through the crowd, leaving Harry on his own on the table.

 __  
[Ginny]  
It's about time that you're leavin'

 __  
[Harry]  
I'm gonna count to three and  
Open my eyes and  
  
**[All]**  
You'll be gone  
  


Ginny shoved them out the door and turns to the sound of cheering… but the song isn’t over yet, the ‘cursed’ few in the crowd along with herself and Harry are still singing and the music still thrums along side them.

 __  
[Harry + Crowd]  
One  
  
[Ginny]  
Get your hands off my...  
  
[Harry + Crowd]  
Two  
  
[Ginny]  
Or I'll punch you in the...

_[Harry + Crowd]_ __  
Three  
  
[Ginny]  
Stop your staring at my... Hey!  
  


Ginny, Harry and the other cursed teens gesture to the rest of the crowd to join in. The redhead makes her way back through the pub to join Harry atop the table once more.

 __  
**[All]**  
Take a hint, take a hint  
I am not your missing link  
Let me tell you what I think  
I think you could use a mint  
Take a hint, take a hint  
Take a hint, take a hint  
Woah!  
  
Get your hands off my hips, or I'll punch you in the lips  
Stop your staring at my... Hey!  
Take a hint, take a hint  
La, la, la...  
T-take a hint, take a hint  
La, la, la...

 

“Thank you! Thank you very much!” Ginny shouts, sounding rather pleased with herself for someone who’d already been forced to sing her thoughts to her own detriment. Before tugging Harry off the table and towards the door.

 

“Come on, let’s go, Ron and ‘Mione won’t mind.” The two of them meander their way around Hogsmeade, stopping briefly at Honeyduke’s to stock up on sweets before slowly walking back towards the castle while intermittently eating pieces of chocolate.

 

Along the walk, Harry’s mind wanders back to what he’d seen in the Room of Requirement and before long, he finds himself bursting with questions. Which admittedly was very unlike him… he felt he must have at least a little more understanding of how Hermione feels a lot of the time now.

 

“Hey Gin, growing up in the wizarding world means you’d know about big differences between wizard and Muggle biology right?” He asks, not really sure how to phrase the question. She glances at him, frowning as they continue to wander.

 

“Like what? I don’t think I understand.” He thinks for a moment, how is he supposed to ask if it’s possible for a wizard to bear children… and how would he justify such a question if they couldn’t ‘ _oh right, of course men can’t get pregnant… that’s silly, I thought rooms could tell the future!’_

 

“Uh, like a male… um pregnancy..? That’s crazy right? It’s not possible, sorry for asking.” The raven haired teen looks down at his shoes, finding them far more interesting to look at than noticing his face flush bright red in embarrassment. Which only worsens when he hears Ginny start to _laugh_ at him, he turns to look at her in surprise.

 

“What?” He nearly shouts, but manages to keep his voice calm, suddenly feeling defensive. “With magic, it’s not too far a stretch of the imagination to think men could have children is it?” Ginny’s eyes widen as she seems to have come some sort of realisation.

“… Wait… you mean you didn’t know?” She asks, in that way that people react when you tell them you haven’t heard of their favourite show or book, complete disbelieving shock. It were as if he’d just asked her what colour the sky was! “Of course they can Harry. How do you think Blaise Zabini and Michael Corner are allowed to date?! Zabini’s mother is _so_ strict about Pureblood rules, if Michael wasn’t a bearer, they would both be completely ostracised from magical society!”

 

Harry couldn’t help but look at her dumbfounded. “What? A bearer, what’s that?”

 

“Hang on Harry. How have you never learnt _any_ sex-ed? I mean your parents should ha–” Realising what she was saying she suddenly slapped a hand over her mouth as if it would force the words back inside. “Sorry, I didn’t mean…”

 

“It’s alright.” Harry looked back down at his shoes, this time in sadness for his lost parents and the childhood he should have had. “Can you tell me though?”

 

“Yes! Right, I don’t even know why you haven’t been taught by McGonagall anyway, every Muggleborn is supposed to be caught up on sex education they will have missed out on before Hogwarts… though I supposed you’re not actually a Muggle _born_ more like… muggle- _raised_.” Harry couldn’t see an end to her rambling in sight and took it upon himself to interrupt it.

 

“Gin, bearers?” She gave him a chagrined smile.

 

“Right… it’s simple really, there are some wizards who are able to bear children. Most don’t choose to, and many gay couples go to a bearer to be a surrogate if neither can bear. There are tests and things that you can take if you’re interested, I mean because of… uh, Malfoy. Sorry, I didn’t mean to you know, bring that up.” She fiddled with the sleeve of her shirt.

 

Harry thought to himself for a moment before coming to a decision, “I can trust you, right Gin? It’s just that, I-uh, I was in the Room of Requirement after the first case of the curse and ah, it showed me what I think might be my future… pregnant, with kids… married to Draco…” He said cautiously.

 

“Oh, right. Yeah, Ron told me about that already.” She said nonchalantly with a shrug of her shoulders. “It’s entirely possible, but I guess you won’t know for sure unless you take the test.”

 

“Okay, I think I will. I really liked the look of that future.”

 

The redhead took hold of his wrist, much like she had with Smith at the Three Broomsticks, and started to drag him up the hill to the entrance hall.

 

“Let’s go now then!”

 

“Ginny, wait!”


End file.
